SHOPWORKERS are increasingly abused by “hardened criminals” as the government fails to deal with an “epidemic” of retail crime, Usdaw warned today.

Nearly one in five workers suffered a violent attack last year — more than double the 8 per cent recorded in 2022, the retail trade union’s annual survey found.

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Our members have reported that they are often faced with hardened career criminals and we know that retail workers are much more likely to be abused by those who are stealing to sell goods on.